"Today," Admiral Chen continued, "we take back the stars."
The viewport shields retracted.
Thomas stopped breathing.
Three ships hung in the void. Thomas's engineer's eye traced their lines automatically: the graceful curve of the hull plating, designed to distribute stress across maximum surface area; the placement of the drive nacelles, positioned for optimal thrust vectoring; the subtle bulge amidships where the Cascade Reactors sat, the hearts that would pump power through every system. They were beautiful in a way that made his chest ache, sleek hulls of gray and silver, running lights tracing their contours like veins of fire. The largest, positioned at the center of the formation, bore the designation CV-001 on her bow.
UENS Vanguard. His ship. The machine he would spend his life learning to understand.
Beside her, CV-002 and CV-003. Defiant and Hope. The First Three.
"These ships were built from nothing," the Admiral said. "From salvage and sacrifice. From the knowledge our enemies left behind and the determination they could not destroy. Every plate of their hulls was forged by human hands. Every system was designed by human minds. Every rivet represents a choice: the choice to fight, the choice to endure, the choice to believe that tomorrow could be better than today."
Thomas found himself blinking rapidly. He was not going to cry. Not here. Not in front of everyone.
He was failing.
The officer beside him, a lieutenant commander with tactical insignia, made no move to wipe her own eyes. Tears tracked down her cheeks, catching the light from the viewport. She did not seem to care who noticed.
"In a moment," Admiral Chen said, "these vessels will receive their colors. Their commanding officers will take their posts. Their crews will begin the work that may take a lifetime to complete." She paused again. "Humanity is no longer defenseless. Humanity is no longer alone in the dark, waiting for death to find us. From this day forward, we have teeth."
She turned to face the viewport.
"Captain Elizabeth Shaw. Step forward and receive command of UENS Vanguard."
A woman emerged from the front rank. Gray streaked her dark hair, and lines carved deep around her eyes, but she moved with the precision of someone who had spent a lifetime in zero gravity. Thomas recognized her from the Academy's history modules: the shuttle pilot who had rescued three hundred survivors from dying stations during the invasion. The woman who had spent twelve years preparing for this moment.
She saluted the Admiral, then turned to face the assembled officers.
"I accept command," she said. Her voice carried the same edge as Admiral Chen's. "For Earth. For those we lost. For those who will never stop fighting."
Applause erupted across the observation deck. Thomas found himself clapping until his palms stung.